Lucy and CeCee Featured on Free Book Friday!

Enter now for your chance to win a free, autographed copy of the award-winning LUCY AND CECEE'S HOW TO SURVIVE (AND THRIVE) IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

http://indie.freebookfriday.com/

Whatcha' Reading This Summer?

As we all fondly recall, summer vacation is the ultimate!  Staying up late into the night, basking in the golden sun, slurping up frothy ice cream concoctions, and yes - hopefully reading a good book or two or three...or three in one day.  And why not?  It's summer, after all.

Here is a list of twelve of my fave summer reads for tweens.  The list includes some classics and some contemporary, depending on personal choice.  Either way, tweens will have a blast getting their read on!!!

Kimberly's 2013 Summer Reading List for Tweens

1) Coraline - Neil Gaiman

2) The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

3) Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney

4) Animal Farm - George Orwell

5) Hoot - Carl Hiaasen

6) Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life - James Patterson

7) The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

8) The Best of Roald Dahl - Roald Dahl

9) I Know What You Did Last Summer - Lois Duncan

10) The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

11) Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli

12) Holes - Lois Sachar

Help Them Do Their Best on the Test!!!

Quiz Question

Standardized Testing is:

A) Stressful
B) Necessary
C) Something students can succeed on
D) All of the above

Correct Answer - D!

It's that time of year again!  Standardized testing is just around the corner, meaning the anxiety at most educational institutions is off-the-charts!  Never before has there been so much pressure to perform well, as standardized testing determines school ratings, student funding, and a child's classroom placement.  To offset test-taking anxiety, it is paramount we prepare our students with knowledge, skills, and guaranteed-to-succeed test-taking strategies.

As I prepare my own students in these weeks to come, I've created a PowerPoint entitled Standardized Test Tips and Tricks that includes strategies, tips, and a comprehensive test-taking term review.  (Example: What is the difference between compare and contrast?  Define and differentiate?)  Using humor and positive reinforcement for maximum buy-in, Standardized Test Tips and Tricks will help psych students up and reach proficiency in no time!!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Standardized-Test-Tips-and-Tricks

Double Win for Pretty Dolls!

Gracie continues to inspire kids to be kind as Pretty Dolls snags the E.P.I.C. Children's Award and Character Building Counts Award.  Watch Gracie's debut in the NBC interview:

http://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Dolls-Kimberly-Dana/dp/1613464169

Empowered Female Characters in Literature

This weekend I spoke on behalf of the Iris Compass Foundation, a non-profit organization that fosters independence and empowers women through educational opportunities.  As part of my presentation, we explored empowered female characters in literature throughout the ages.  The following ten eclectic characters continue to inspire us through their passion, courage, and temerity as they dance through life in spite of its challenges.

Pippi Longstocking - Pippi Longstocking Series by Astrid Lindgrin: A most self-possessed nine-year-old with super human strength and a menacing moral compass she reserves for adults and bullies.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: The four sisters validate virtue over wealth as they offset life's burdens with love, humor, and dignity.

Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins: The classic underdog hero who becomes the voice and face of a rebellion movement, symbolizing hope and perseverance for all.

Hermione Granger - The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - The master sorceress is known for her fierce intellect and cleverness as she fights good over evil, while saving her friends from peril time after time.

Lizbeth Salander - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson: A cultural icon/punk heroine dancing on the edge of conventional society as she takes revenge on those who have wronged her.

Celie - The Color Purple by Alice Walker - In Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize novel, Celie survives poverty, oppression, and abuse, only to find her voice through the written word in her letters to God.

Anne Frank - The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank - A real-life heroine who never lost hope even within the confines of an evil empire.  In the end she lost her life but left us with her extraordinary story.

Bridget Jones - Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding - While determined to improve herself, Bridget reminds us to never lose our sense of humor and embrace our imperfections.

Hester Pryne - The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - The enduring heroine epitomizes the good-woman-gone-bad as she survives harsh Puritan judgements with dignity and faith, while never losing her sense of self.

Janie Crawford - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - Challenging the morals of a small Florida town in the 1920's, Janie Crawford perseveres no matter what life throws at her, leading to a journey of self-actualization and happiness.

Jane Eyre - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - A Victorian feminist who survives extraordinary life struggles only to achieve a balance between societal duty and happiness, Jane Eyre is a paragon for the ages.

Literacy Lessons for the Classroom

Have You DEAR'ed Lately?

            D.E.A.R. is an educational acronym that stands for Drop Everything and Read.  It’s much frothier than the dated S.S.R. – Silent Sustained Reading, which sounds a bit torturous to even the most avid reader. 

            This week I will be celebrating Nashville D.E.A.R. Day at Rose Park Magnet School where we will honor books, authors, and reading in general.  April 12^th is the official National D.E.A.R Day.  It is the birthday of the beloved author Beverly Cleary who created one of my all-time favorite childhood characters – Ramona Quimby.  On National D.E.A.R. Day, families are encouraged to read together while promoting books as an integral part of daily life.

            So how will you be celebrating D.E.A.R. Day?  Fun activities to do with family, friends, or an impassioned book club include making bookmarks, reading favorite passages, and acting out scenes.  Character charades, anyone?  While April 12^th is official D.E.A.R. day, every day is a great day to Drop Everything and Read!  So – drop those agonizing bills, turn off that vapid reality TV show, and get your read on!